Made in the patriotism of WWII (U.S. involvement 1941-45,) possibly in conjunction with a war bond drive, this terrific and very rare bandanna features a square blue window in the center, where the words "Remember Pearl Harbor" appear within a circular wreath of 13 stars. This is set upon a field of 23, red and white stripes, on which 12 patriotic slogans appear in blue, block letters. The iconic American phrases include:

Lafayette We Are Here [Charles E. Stanton, WWI officer and nephew of Lincoln's Secretary of War, while standing before the Frenchman's grave in 1917]

Don’t Tread On Me [Rev. War slogan from a flag designed by South Carolina politician Christopher Gadsen]

Freedom Shall Not Perish From This Earth [Abraham Lincoln during the Gettysburg Address, with slight rewording]

Don’t Give Up This Ship [Capt. James Lawrence aboard the U.S.S. Chesapeake during the Rev. War]

Make The World Safe For Democracy [Woodrow Wilson before a joint session of Congress in 1917, seeking a Declaration of War against Germany]

Do Or Die. Never Surrender [general WWII patriotism]

Keep ‘Em Flying [slogan from WWII war bond posters]

We Are Ready Now [American Commander Joseph Taussig to British Commander in Chief of the Coasts of Ireland, Vice Admiral Sir Lewis Bayly, during WWI, when he arrived with Division 8 of the Atlantic Fleet to drive off German U-Boats]

Damn The Torpedoes Full Speed Ahead [Admiral Farragut during the Battle of Mobile Bay, off the coast of Alabama, during the Civil War]

A blue border surrounds the striped field.

Printed on heavy and especially high quality Rayon, I have encountered just three examples of this rare and beautiful textile with its terrific flag imagery.

Mounting: The textile was mounted and framed within our own conservation department, which is led by expert trained staff. We take great care in the mounting and presentation of flags and have preserved thousands of examples.

The background is 100% cotton twill, black in color. The mount was placed in a modern frame with a finish that is very dark brown, nearly black, with red with a red undertone and highlights, to which a ripple profile molding, black with gold highlights, was added as a cap. The glazing is U.V. protective acrylic.

Condition: There is minor soiling in limited areas. There are two very tears with associated loss, one in the blue border and one in the striped field, and there are a number of tiny, pinprick-sized holes throughout. The colors are remarkably strong.

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About Jeff Bridgman

As the nation's largest seller of early Stars & Stripes and political textiles, antique American flags are my foremost business. As a serious collector and dealer of 19th century paint-decorated furniture, folk art and textiles, American Fancy is my foremost love. As a American patriot, the convergence of these closely related fields has led to a life-long pursuit of the most colorful, rare, and magnificent examples. I hope you enjoy the pages herein.